State of Mind
by Belles7
Summary: Sakura always knew that interacting with the Uchiha Clan was a bad thing-mainly because most of them had over inflated egos. The moment Tsunade sent her into the Uchiha compound as a mediator, she knew something was wrong. The voice she used to have in her head during her academy days suddenly appeared in her head and she was sure that she locked it away. [Non-Massacre]
1. Chapter 1

**State of Mind:**

* * *

*chapter 1: Uchiha Clan

Normal POV:

* * *

"Shishou! You know that I can't do this job! They practically _hate_ me and I mean _all_ of them do," Sakura said. She shook her head fervidly and turned around, ready to dash out of the Hokage headquarters, and took two large steps toward her ticket to heaven, the large oak door.

Before the eighteen year old medic could disappear, Tsunade ordered firmly, "As Hokage of Konoha, I order you to bend to my command, _Sa-ku-ra._" Said girl ceased moving, her body stiffening, and gradually turned around with a look of irritation and anger.

"Damn it," she muttered. Sakura lifted her chin up and glued her eyes on the ceiling. Right now, she wished that Tsunade wasn't the Hokage because if she wasn't, then she could easily ditch this order. But, _no_, Kami just loved making her life hell or maybe it was karma? Sakura tilted her head, thinking that maybe it really was karma. Maybe she was getting punished for pummeling Sasuke into the ground when they were fighting a month ago or maybe she was getting punished for stealing Naruto's instant ramen and hiding them in trees? Or maybe she was getting punished for drawing on the cover of Kakashi's dear book with a neon purple permanent marker? Or maybe she was getting punished for dropping Sai's notebook in the mud, but it was an accident. The medic tried to balance her good deeds with her mischievous ones.

Meanwhile, Tsunade sighed. What a troublesome apprentice she had raised and molded. Shaking her head and cursing herself for sounding like those Nara guys, she slammed a hand on the desk and cleared her throat loudly intentionally. Once Sakura was paying attention, Tsunade explained, "I am sending you on a mission-"

"More like a trip to hell," Sakura muttered, interrupting the irked Hokage. "You might as well as kill me."

Tsunade shut her eyes and breathed in softly, calming herself down. She weighed out the options; she could either continue doing this civilly and properly or she could explode which would lead to the collapsing of the building-which would obviously be bad-and furniture being tossed outside the window which meant a broken window and lots of shattered glass. Oh, and tons of holes in the walls. If any innocent, unknowing civilian was walking by the headquarters, he'd probably be smashed by a flying bookcase! Opening her amber eyes now, Tsunade nodded to herself; she'd save Shizune the heartache and go with plan A.

"Anyways, Sakura, I am assigning you a diplomatic mission. You will be working with the Uchiha Clan and you will act as the mediator, relating information from me to them and vice versa. I want you to read this file regarding your mission. This will give you all the background information you need in order to act and make judgments when necessary." Tsunade pulled out a sealed scroll and tossed it to the medic who then held it as if it was a diaper, loaded with feces.

"Go on and read it."

Sakura sighed and unsealed the scroll as she sat in a nearby chair next to the wall. When she finished reading the scroll, she stared at the Hokage who smirked, knowing what Sakura would say next. Sakura clenched the scroll into her fists and demanded, "What the hell, Shishou! How am I supposed to act off of this?" She waved the flapping scroll in the air with arched pink brows and a look of disbelief before continuing, "This has barely enough background info! And you knew this, too!"

Tsunade nodded, agreeing, and replied, "But at least it has the main point, Sakura."

Sakura clamped her mouth shut, finding reason in her teacher's statement. She crossed her arms and slumped in her chair. "Ever since the kyuubi was released eighteen years ago, the Uchiha Clan has been under critical judgment. Civilians and shinobis in Konoha think that they were the mastermind of the kyuubi's release and until this day, they are still facing those accusations. Now, people fear the Uchiha even more, but what's even worse is that Konoha has lost its trust in the clan and vice versa. So, what does that have to do about my mission?"

"Sakura, there's many reasons why I chose you. One, you're my apprentice. I've been with you since you were thirteen, almost fourteen, and now you're eighteen. So, I know what you're really like. You're loyal and that's the type of person I need for this mission. Even though your anger may cause you to do rash things sometimes, you tend to think before you act and you form right judgments. Two, you're not from a clan. Being a non-clan shinobi will give you an advantage. You're not biased. Most clans have a thing against each other and they make sure to install it into the minds of their young ones. I don't need a narrow-minded person to do this mission, but you're not, so that's all good. Three, you're a friend of Sasuke, another important Uchiha. Being his friend and teammate for a good amount of time gives you an upper hand as well as an advantage. The clan will be less likely to hate you because of your connection to him and me as well. You're a pretty established kunoichi, Sakura, and because of that, I want to use you as the mediator and rub it into their patriarchal clan." Tsunade rubbed her hands together and grinned devilishly.

Sakura groaned into her hands. "Ugh, Tsunade-shishou! You're so…" and she finished lamely, "bad."

Tsunade laughed and slammed her hand on the desk happily. "Don't think of yourself as a pawn, because you're really not, Sakura."

"That's what I'd like to think, Shishou. Besides, I didn't really think that you were much of a feminist. I mean, I know you were a sore gambler from what Naruto told me and from what I've seen. You'll never cease to surprise me, Shishou," Sakura said, blowing out a breath of hot air.

Tsunade arched a brow and replied, "Me, a feminist? I might be, never really thought of that. It sounds good though, fighting for the rights of female shinobis. Anyways, you're ready to accept the mission now, right? I thought that I did some good, prepping you up when I listed the reasons why I chose you."

Crossing her legs casually, Sakura furrowed her slender brows and stated, "No. I'm not going to do it." No one could easily and casually defy the Hokage/legendary sannin as easy as Sakura could. The two kunoichis had a special relationship that allowed them to angrily throw boulders at each other and have fun getting drunk while the observant Shizune scowled upon them with scorn.

Tsunade shot to her feet, slamming a fist on her desk and a crack appeared on the surface. "Why?"

"As much as I'd like to think that I'm all those things you just told me, I think they're just flattery, Shishou. Why do you really want me to do this? You could get Ino or Hinata or Shikamaru- he's pretty strategical himself- to do it," Sakura reasoned.

Tsunade sat down again and said, "Sakura, it's because you're a fighter. You don't back down from a challenge and you don't suck up to people. The Uchiha clan is intimidating and I don't want to use any flirtatious people, like Ino, or soft people, like Hinata, or lazy guys like Nara even though he's a natural genius. I'm not saying that they're not good shinobis because Kami knows they truly are; I'm just saying that you're the perfect candidate. And remember, you are representing me or should I say the Hokage. The welfare of Konoha does rely on our ties to these clans whether we like it or not, acknowledge it or not. It's reality."

"Still, my answer is no."

"Oh, come on. You're going to get paid for this; it's a_ mission_, Sakura."

"Money or not, I don't want to do this."

"Why?"

"…."

"I said _why,_ Sakura?"

"Because…" Sakura glared at the wall. "I have my own bias against them, Shishou. They're controlling. I've seen how they treat Sasuke; he's like an object or some kind of tool that will reap them some kind of profit or reward. I've seen how they manipulated him a month ago. He avoided us for a _month,_ Shishou. And if I hadn't barged into his room that night, dragged his ass out onto the training ground and fought him and beat some sense into his inflated head, he probably would have continued to avoid Naruto and me! We're teammates, Shishou! If your longtime teammate suddenly avoids you, you know something's up and I knew it exactly."

Tsunade nodded, scratching her chin. "Well, of course I remember, Sakura. After all, a disgruntled Fugaku came knocking at my door one in the morning, complaining that his youngest son had been abducted by an absurd apprentice of mine." The busty blonde grinned and added, "They know your personality; that's why your the perfect choice, Sakura. Now, just accept the damn mission or else we can go the other way. I can use my authority as the Hokage if you want. Then, you'll probably be the first person in Konoha history to defy the request of a Hokage! Ha, think about that, will ya? You'll be famous!" She shook her head, chuckling.

"Shishou, hear me out, will you! As I initially stated, the Uchiha Clan hates me. They despise me! Do you know how many times I have interrupted their clan meetings?" Sakura questioned.

"Uh, once. I believe that was when your team was going to go on a mission, but Sasuke suddenly couldn't make it. Sai was going to fill in for Sasuke and then, you stalked over to the Uchiha compound and infiltrated your way into the usually private meeting." Tsunade shook her head, remembering the Uchiha clan's three leading elders complaining to her about her exceptionally rude apprentice. "Well, I wouldn't exactly say that you entered smoothly. You pretty much slammed the door open with much force that it ripped off and flew to a nearby tree. What a grand entrance, I kind of wish I was there, you know?"

Sakura shut her mouth and nodded grimly, remembering the door split in half as it lied by the base of the gigantic tree. "Yes, that one time was enough to stir their dislike for me. Yes, I know they probably think that I'm rowdy and manner-less, but I could care less. If I respect you, that means that I'll be polite towards you, but when it comes to _them_, I am not going to kiss their ass!"

"Sakura, no one ever said that you'll have to 'kiss their ass'."

"No, Tsunade-sama, you don't understand. They are stubborn, period. They won't relent unless they get their way. I know this because of Sasuke; we've talked and argued about his clan so many times. It's hard to believe that they'd even compromise with you, Shishou." Sakura looked away, staring at a bookshelf. She silently soothed her anger by listing the bones in the human body.

"Sakura, I understand your point, but my grandfather created Konoha with the idea that the clans, no matter how independent they are, would coexist and protect the welfare of Konoha. All of the clans made sure to agree to that policy; it's time to make sure that they know what their ancestors signed them up for," Tsunade explained. She turned her chair around and peered out the large window.

Sakura sighed. "What's the next step?"

Tsunade whirled her chair around, smiling, and said, "Now, we set up a meeting with the clan."

"Great," Sakura forced with feign cheeriness. She threw an unenthusiastic punch into the air. "I'm curious though, Shishou. Why aren't we meeting up with the other clans? If you want to see that they're still committed to protecting Konoha, you'd have to check with not only the Uchiha, but the others as well."

"Of course, Sakura. I already met with them a while back. The last one is the Uchiha Clan. I didn't want to approach them first, mainly because I didn't know how I would approach them, but it's inevitable now."

Sakura eyed her teacher suspiciously. "I don't think you're telling me everything. If you're not willing to tell me everything, I'm out of this mission. I'm not going to enter a battlefield with half the knowledge I should know; are you trying to get me killed?"

Tsunade beckoned Sakura closer to her with a wave of her index finger. Once Sakura pulled her chair closer to the desk and sat down again, Tsunade leaned closer after she pulled out a scroll. She unsealed it and with a poof, a file appeared. She opened it and explained, "Before the Third died, he left some instructions for the next Hokage which happens to be me. No one knows about this, not even the elders, Sakura." Tsunade stared the pink-haired medic in the eye evenly.

Sakura nodded, eyeing the paper with cautiousness. "What's in there?" She looked around the room and said in a lower tone, "Is the room safe?"

Tsunade nodded. "I sealed it with a jutsu before you came. Everything I said and will say must remain confidential, understood?" Sakura nodded, serious now.

"As you stated earlier, Sakura, after the kyuubi was released, many accused the mastermind to be the Uchiha. Of course, the only thing that could even control such a beast is the Sharingan and we all know where that special eye comes from. The Third did leave a file saying that the Uchiha were planning a coup d'état eight years after the kyuubi was released. He didn't really specify who was going to lead the revolt, but he did say that someone from the clan confirmed the clan's plan of a revolt. I'd like to know who this Uchiha is and if he or she is still alive. I wonder why they didn't revolt?" Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair.

Sakura pressed her lips into a thin line. She wondered if Sasuke knew this. The Uchiha were really going to overthrow Konoha? But, why? "So, you want to have them state their loyalty to Konoha?"

"Yes, like a renewal of a contract. If they choose to not remain loyal to Konoha, they can still stay here in Konoha. They'll just have to be under more monitor. We'll probably have to treat them as a separate village, despite the close proximity they have with Konoha physically. As of now, their relationship with the village is strained." Tsunade flipped open the file, pushing it to the silent Sakura who read.

"You pretty much summed it up. I just don't understand why these two documents you showed me don't have a lot of information. It's not in depth," Sakura mentioned. She tucked the papers back into the file and closed the tan file before Tsunade sealed it back into the scroll as it poofed away.

"Well, that's pretty simple, Sakura. There wasn't a lot of information about what was happening sixteen years ago. The Uchiha clan are loyal to their clan. Heck, they probably chant 'clan before village' when sleeping. You seriously don't think that they're going to let their plans be discovered, do you? That explains why the Third couldn't get much information; he was lucky to even have an _Uchiha_ leak the info to him," Tsunade said. "This clan produces strong ninjas and Konoha has been using them for a while now. It's going to be difficult if we really do become enemies."

"So, now we set up a meeting?" Sakura phrased.

"Yep."

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A/N: Reviews are food for writers, so... any reviews? ^0^


	2. Chapter 2

**State of Mind**

* * *

*Chapter 2: Meeting

Normal POV:

* * *

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth. Sasuke smacked the back of his head, glaring at the loud teammate.

"Ow, Teme!"

"Shut your loud mouth, Dobe."

"Didn't have to hit me; Sakura-chan's going to hit your head so hard when we train, you're going to break your neck!" Naruto cried out. He waved a fist in his hand, grinning crazily.

Sasuke shook his head, muttering, "That won't happen. I'll strike her before she could take a footstep towards me."

"Oh really?" a voice asked, disbelief and amusement laced underneath.

Sasuke turned around, tilted his head upwards and spotted Sakura sitting casually on a pole. He stuffed his hands into the pocket of his pants casually and replied, "Yeah." He stared at her vibrant emerald eyes without blinking.

Sakura jumped off the pole and landed smoothly on her feet; she walked towards him and punched his shoulder lightly before she broke into a grin and said, "Watch, this shoulder's going to be broken in the next hour."

"Hn."

"Aww, you're going back to your monosyllabic words, Sasuke-_kun_."

"Shut up, Sakura."

"That's more like it." She chuckled. "Race you to the grounds."

xxx

A kunai smashed against a katana, both metals screeched into the silence. Green eyes bore into coal ones. Harsh breaths came from the two teammates.

"Where were you this morning?" Sasuke asked, pushing against Sakura who pushed back with equal effort.

"Hm," she mused, slamming her knee in his stomach. Sasuke stumbled back and stabbed his katana into the earth, using it to hold him upright. He watched her closely, seeing her form some unfamiliar seals. He unsheathed his sword from the ground and thought that he saw her do a seal for a fire jutsu. However, he knew that Sakura didn't do fire jutsus.

He made his seals and the two simultaneously blew fire at each other. Red balls of flame crashed against pink flames.

Sakura jumped back as well as Sasuke and they aimed shurikens at each other. Sakura whipped out a kunai with a paper bomb attached and aimed it at him as she landed on a branch. Sasuke spotted the kunai and whipped his katana in front of him, ready to deflect the flying weapon; however, he saw the paper bomb wrapped around the handle and teleported away, knowing that running by foot would be too slow.

Naruto watched the tree explode. "Damn, Sakura-chan, try not to kill Teme! We still need him."

Sasuke appeared back on the grounds again. "I didn't know you did fire jutsus."

Sakura walked down from the tree with her chakra. "I don't."

"That was a fire jutsu, don't lie."

"I'm not. It was an imitation. I just used cherry blossoms and increased its speed, clumping the leaves together to make it look like fire. It really wasn't fire, Sasuke. You know I'm only earth and wind."

"Hn." Sasuke charged at her and she launched into a defensive mode, shortly going offensive.

xxx

"See, I told you that shoulder was going to get broken," Sakura said, grinning. She was in the middle of healing Sasuke's bandaged shoulder when Naruto's stomach growled and he suggested, "Ramen at Ichiraku!" He threw a fist in the air and Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde's wrist.

"Didn't I injure you when you were throwing your rasengan, Dobe?" Sasuke asked.

"Ah," Naruto mused, staring at his wrist, and said, "Yeah, you did, but you know how I have the kyuubi? So, I tend to heal faster." He grinned and Sasuke shook his head, muttering under his breath that Naruto was lucky. Naruto ran to a tree and climbed it energetically as if he didn't just have an hour sparring session with Sasuke and Sakura.

Sakura faked a scowl and pointed out, "Hey, at least, I'm here to heal you." She watched Sasuke as he stared at Naruto hanging upside down from a tree. His dark eyes narrowed; his lips were firm as if he was thinking about something hard and serious. Sakura swallowed, hoping that her teammate wasn't thinking about something related to his clan and the kyuubi. After her meeting with Tsunade this morning, she was much more conscious of Sasuke or any Uchiha overall.

"What were you doing this morning?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura tore her eyes away from Naruto and focused on Sasuke. She couldn't help but remember that this man was the boy she loved when she was twelve. Her twelve year old self? She shuddered at the thought of her younger self; she chided herself inwardly for being such a love stricken fool and for being a weak member of the team back then.

"Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head and replied, "I was meeting with Tsunade-sama."

"Ah." Sasuke looked at his bandaged shoulder. "Was it bad?"

Even though he hadn't really liked Sakura when she was initially placed on his team, he eventually came to like her as a teammate. But, that happened when he came back to Konoha from his personal training with Kakashi; he remembered seeing Sakura for the first time in three years. She was sixteen, taller, stronger and her forehead wasn't so big then. Of course, he had noticed that her chest grew a bit. She wasn't as big as her mentor but she was average.

"No, it wasn't," Sakura said. She was sitting behind his back now, healing a somewhat deep gash on his shoulder that trailed to his upper back. She shook her head, remembering how surprised she was when Naruto stole Sasuke's katana, having the time to even mock him, and sliced his good shoulder. And then, seeing all the blood seep out and stain Sasuke's dark shirt, Naruto apologized and Sasuke sent him flying to a tree.

As her chakra-laced hand graced his wounded skin, Sakura inquired, "Have you ever thought of changing your hairstyle?"

"Hn."

"Okay, I got that, chicken-butt."

"Shut up."

"Never."

"Tch, whatever."

"That's right, Sasuke." She grinned. She continued to heal his wound in silence until a thought came to her mind. "Sasuke, we're still going to be friends even if something unfortunate happened, right?"

"I think so. Why are you asking this? _Is _something bad going to happen?" He turned around to look at her, gauging her reaction. She shook her head and said, "Of course, not. I was just looking at your wound and I just thought of that."

Sasuke stared at her intently as he got up and tossed his shirt back on. "You better tell me if you're going to murder someone, Sakura."

A horrified look crossed her face and she said, "Oh, Kami, no-not unless I had to. Sasuke, how did you even jump to that conclusion?" He shrugged and lent her a hand and she took it, pushing herself onto her feet. "I was just thinking that you could get terribly injured one day during an actual battle and you might lose memories. What if you forgot about us: Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and me?"

"First of all, I wouldn't get _that_ injured. Give me some credit, Sakura. Second, are you reading those sappy romance novels? Ino was jabbering about one a week ago, you know?" he asked. Sakura shook her head and said, "I didn't know that. Anyways, it _is _real; there are many shinobis who lose their memories, Sasuke. I work in the hospital; I've seen them."

"I wasn't saying that it doesn't happen; I'm just saying that it won't happen to me."

"I hope it won't ever happen to anyone I know, Sasuke." Sakura wondered if she and Sasuke could even be friends if his clan decided to break away from the village. The answer? She had no idea.

"Ramen time!" Naruto shouted, running to them as he grabbed their hands and dragged them to Ichiraku.

xxx

Sakura watched Naruto continuously gobble his ramen. She lifted her brows, wondering if there was any point in telling him to stop eating. The medic in her told her to stop him before he caused himself a stomach ache and bloating. The friend in her told her to tell him to stop other wise he'd be broke by the time he left Ichiraku. Another part of her simply didn't care.

She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and suggested softly, "Naruto, I think you should stop." He continued to slurp and wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. He lifted the bowl, drinking the liquid now and placed the bowl down with a thud. He was about to ask for more when Sakura tightened her hold on his shoulder and said all too sweetly, "Ah, look at the time. I think you're done, Naruto."

He looked at her confused and spotted her deathly serious face and nodded, the flush color on his cheeks draining from his face. Sasuke sighed and pointed at Naruto's stomach. "You're full, Dobe."

Naruto patted and rubbed his round stomach; Sakura sighed as she said, "Bloated full." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously. He opened his wallet and shrank, trying to slide off his stool now. Sasuke held the blonde by the back of his jacket's collar. "What is it now, Dobe? We're waiting on you. Pay your meal so we can go."

"Uh, I, um, don't have any money with me."

"What?" Sakura demanded, yanking him closer to her now. Sasuke watched with a tad of concern as she shook him strongly. "What do you mean you don't have any money? What happen to the money you got from our mission?"

He grinned sheepishly and muttered, "Ah, Sakura-chan, I kind of... already used it."

"What! When?"

"The minute we got home."

Sakura let go of him and sighed, rubbing her temples. "Sasuke, I am not going to pay this fine alone."

"Dobe," Sasuke seethed darkly. "I am going to beat you to a pulp."

"Not if I do it before you," Sakura said, leaning against the counter casually. She had an evil glint to her green eyes. Naruto gulped and held two hands up, saying, "Now, now, let's be nice. We're all friends, aren't we?"

And so after paying the large fine, Team 7 went for another round of sparring; this time it was Sasuke and Sakura against Naruto.

* * *

Sakura woke up at six the next morning and walked to the hospital in a good mood. The moment she entered the hospital, she was faced with chaos. Nurses were running everywhere and stretchers were going here and there. Shizune was giving orders, trying to tame the madness, and Sakura wondered where Tsunade was.

Shizune smiled when she spotted Sakura standing there. "Sakura, I need you to go check on some ANBU patients for me." She led Sakura to down a hallway where they ascended the stairs. "ANBU squad 3 appeared at the gates at 2 a.m. this morning. Thankfully, Genma was taking watch that hour and he called for medics to escort them to the hospital."

"How severe are their injuries?" Sakura asked as she put on the white lab coat Shizune handed her.

"Well, one of them had a broken arm and a twisted ankle. The second one was poisoned and is currently recovering; we had to do an operation on him immediately because the poison had spread too fast. The third one is in a coma. Apparently, the opponent was capable of some sort of mind trick. It was an unexpected encounter," Shizune explained.

"Who is in this squad?" Sakura questioned.

"Inuzuka Hana, Aburame Shibi, and Yugao Uzuki."

Sakura nodded and asked, "Who's the one in a coma?"

"Captain Yugao."

Sakura inhaled sharply, surprised. "What about the other two?"

"Inuzuka has the broken arm and twisted ankle, and Aburame is poisoned."

"Aburame poisoned?" Sakura repeated.

"I'm afraid so. No one's immune to everything even if they're users of poisonous insects. This is the room. I'd like you to do a check up on those two."

"Where's the other one?" Sakura asked. Shizune leaned closer and said, "We have the captain in a separate room. Come to my office later and I will explain. None of the other nurses have access to nurse the ANBU members. Tsunade-sama already informed all the employees about this. She is currently meeting the other ANBU squads, informing them about this."

"I understand," Sakura stated before she entered the room. Shutting the door, Sakura assessed the behavior of Shibi who was reading and Hana who was petting her dog. She wondered how the ANBU member even got her dog in the hospital since animals weren't allowed.

"I transported him here, Sakura-san," Hana said. Sakura smiled and said, "You read my mind, Inuzuka-san."

Hana laughed and said, "I suppose you're here for check up?"

Sakura nodded and headed towards Shibi. "Auburame-san, how are you feeling? Nauseous, tired, hungry?"

She watched him set down his book as he smiled and said, "I'm feeling much better. I can walk without having headaches or any dizziness. I believe the poison wasn't that dangerous. I think it was meant to slow down the victim, almost paralyzing." Sakura nodded, making mental notes to herself. She checked his pulse, injected a shot and scanned his chakra system for any signs of chakra disruption from the poison. She smiled in relief and stated, "Aburame-san, you're clear of danger. You will be able to leave in another day or two."

She walked back to Hana and said, "You'll have to remain in a wheel chair for now, Inuzuka-san. I'll check your chakra system like I did for Aburame-san." She scanned her chakra system and informed, "You're chakra flow is fine; however, I did spot a some blood clots around your arm, the one that's broken. We'll have to take immediate action in order to prevent further damage to your body. Your twisted ankle is fine; it'll just take some time to heal. I will report this to Tsunade-sama and she will set up an operation for you."

Hana frowned, rubbed her dog's head with her good hand and muttered, "Just when I thought was going to be okay."

"I'm sorry, Inuzuka-san."

"Ah, wasn't your fault, Sakura-san." Hana laughed, waving at the worried medic with her good hand. Sakura placed a hand on Hana's injured arm and murmured, "I thought so."

"What's wrong?" Hana asked. Sakura gave her a questioning look and said, "You don't feel the warmth in your injured arm? That's a symptom of blood clots. It's slightly swollen also." Hana's eyes widened and she shook her head, saying that she just thought her body was overheated from the fight.

"I'll go report to Tsunade-sama now. In the meantime, please stray away from strenuous activities. Shizune will bring you lunch at noon," Sakura said, walking out of the door. Hana watched the eighteen year old disappear before she turned to her teammate, who lied on a bed, and said, "I don't know why Kiba never asked her out on a date."

"Well, at least, he likes girls. I can't even tell when it comes to Shino," Shibi muttered, flipping a page in his comic book.

xxx

"I'll have Shizune and one of the higher nurses do the operation on Inuzuka, Sakura," Tsunade said as she sat down in her office in the hospital. Sakura sat on a spare table in the semi-spacious office and thought to herself that her teacher's Hokage office was much bigger than this one.

"Have you decided on the date?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade looked at the teen as she shuffled some paper around, clipped some together and shoved them into a file. She stood up and grabbed the file, walking to the door, and instructed, "Follow me."

Sakura walked next to the Hokage as they wound their way through the hospital, traveling to a restricted area of the hospital. Tsunade unlocked the door with a scan of her chakra and Sakura followed as she asked, "You're going to put the files in the storage room?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, you know that people's medical files don't go here. They're in a different building. We're going to inspect our storage supplies." Sakura was confused now and said, "I just did the inventory check a week ago, Shishou."

"Yes, I remember that. I was looking at the results Shizune gave me concerning ANBU squad 3. I had Shizune take a sample of the poison injected in Aburame's body by the opponent and just as I inspected, it's a foreign poison. It's no wonder why he wasn't immune to it. The Aburame clan studies and uses both deadly and normal insects. Over time, the Aburame clan has built an immunity to poison from bugs. Of course, they haven't studied every single species of bugs, so I wasn't terribly surprised when Shibi was infected," Tsunade said. She stopped talking to scan her chakra and open the door; they stepped into a large room, full of supplies.

"I came here to see if I could identify the agents used in this foreign poison. We have a good amount of poison in stock, so I figured why not try here first? There might be a similar agent to the ones we use," Tsunade explained.

"I know that ANBU missions must remain confidential at all times, but I just want to know if the attacker was apart of their mission or not. And how did Auburame-san get this infection? Was it really from a foreign bug or maybe he was pierced by a poisoned senbon during the fight?" Sakura asked.

"Whoever they encountered was not a part of the mission, Sakura. Shibi said that he was fighting the person, who's identity could not be seen since it was night and they were in the forest and the person was cloaked. Then, a swarm of bugs appeared and they bit him. He could feel the poison seeping in his veins, whatever that feels like," Tsunade shook her head and searched for bottles of poison extracted from bugs. "Get over here and help me, Sakura. We have no time to waste."

"Aburame-san is going to be okay, right?" Sakura asked, reading the ingredients of a bottle. "I did his check up earlier and he's fine."

"Well, of course, he's fine. His immune system is better than I expected. Did he tell you his theory?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes, he thinks it's not a deathly poison. Just something to paralyze the prey."

Tsunade nodded and murmured, "That's what I thought when I heard his story and checked his injury before we did the operation. Still, we have to find the agents." Tsunade scanned the shelf of poison, reading the ingredients, and after a while, Sakura said, "Shishou, we don't really have much bug extracted poisons. We mainly extract poison from herbs and plants."

Tsunade placed a bottle of poison on the shelf. "I'll have Shizune take a look at this sample again. She's more familiar with this kind of stuff; she might find something about this unknown poison." Tsunade grabbed the poison, sealed in a small plastic bag, and the file and led Sakura out of the storage room. As they walked back to the entrance of the restricted area, Sakura reminded, "About the meeting with you know who, have you settled on an official date yet?"

"Oh, right. About that," Tsunade said. "Those old geezers had to get into my business and they wanted to send a representative from their little board of elders- tch, only _3_ people- to make sure that the clan would cooperate. Apparently, they want Danzo to represent them. I don't see the need to, after all, I am the Hokage and I know what I'm doing."

"I don't think he's in Konoha right now," Sakura said, remembering how Sai told her that he was going on a training session with a few other ROOT members and Danzo. Tsunade nodded. "I know he's not here. He'll have to miss the first meeting because I definitely will not change it, especially after I finally convinced the clan."

"When is the meeting?" Sakura asked.

"Tomorrow evening." Tsunade handed the files to Sakura and wished, "Have a good night reading this."

Sakura took the files uncertainly and inquired, "Wait, these aren't medical files?"

"Of course not. They're information about some of the more public Uchiha clan members. Oh and there's some information about the First's ideals for Konoha and the clans and blah, blah, blah-just read it by tonight. Take the day off tomorrow to mentally prepare yourself, Sakura. You've got a long way to go." Tsunade chuckled and Sakura breathed in with determination.

"Are you going to be there, Shishou?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade shook her head and replied, "I got a meeting tomorrow with the big Kumo boss, Raikage or whatever they call him. I think Bee's coming over which means he can help Naruto with his kyuubi stuff, you know?"

Sakura nodded, feeling a surge of doubt rumble deep inside of her. She bit her lip, trying to not look weak or insecure. Tsunade opened and sealed the restricted area as they, then, made their way to the more populated region of the hospital. Tsunade placed a hand on her student's shoulder and squeezed it gently, like a confident mother. "You're going to be fine, Sakura. No matter how bad you've pissed them off, they have to listen; it's a meeting assigned by me, the Hokage, their leader. They're not stupid enough to flat out disobey my orders; they've got a reputation to keep. That's how clans work. They're strong, yes, but their clan stuff limits how much they can act also."

Sakura nodded. "Thanks, Shishou."

Tsunade smiled and then added, "Oh and don't forget to dress up professionally; after all, you are attending a very important meeting."

Sakura almost cussed at the thought of her having to find something nice tonight or maybe tomorrow morning since the meeting was tomorrow night. Tsunade shook her head and jokingly said, "Ask Ino or something like that."

"She'd probably dress me in a mini skirt, sky-high heels and a tube top with my back and bra showing, Shishou." Sakura teleported away, shaking her head. Tsunade grimaced, hoping that Sakura wouldn't attend the meeting like that, and went to find Shizune somewhere in the hospital.

xxx

That night, Sakura sat on her bed, reading Tsunade's files. She easily breezed through the First Hokage's ideals for Konoha and the clans. Then, she moved onto the Uchiha members' profiles. She spotted Uchiha Fugaku and the names of his kids, Sasuke- her teammate-and Itachi- some ANBU captain that she barely knew. It didn't specify anything about the younger ones; it was more of the older Uchihas. Fugaku was the chief police of the Konoha Police Force which happened to be ran by the Uchiha Clan. Then, there were the three elders: Uchiha Fumio, Uchiha Dai, and Uchiha Ichiro.

Sakura murmured their profiles softly, "Uchiha Fumio, son to one of the main leaders of the Uchiha clan, age: 62 years old, birth place: Konoha Leaf; Uchiha Dai, lost parents at age of 5 during the Third Shinobi World War and later lived with uncle, age: 67, birth place: Konoha Leaf; Uchiha Ichiro, leader of Uchiha Clan's elders, born to head of clan, age: 70, birth place: Konoha Leaf." She flipped the page and saw a scrap of paper with Tsunade's handwriting on it. She picked up the loose paper with ripped edges and read aloud, "Better study these geezer's faces; you'll need to remember them and their names tomorrow. Oh and try to be polite."

"Hn," Sakura mumbled, immediately covering her mouth with a hand. Surprise flowed through her and she shook her head, wondering if all Uchihas said that word. She looked at the back of the paper and saw that Tsunade had used the receipt of her sake as a note; Sakura shook her head and laughed before continuing to read on.

* * *

By the time Sakura woke up, it was already ten a.m. She took a brief shower, threw on her usual attire, snaked her foot into her shinobi boots and set out to find a nice blouse and some pants. As Sakura was standing in the busy market looking at a blouse, she felt something trail over her shoulder to her neck and then, she tossed the shirt onto the rack and stepped on the person's foot and jutted her elbow backwards, hoping to smash the person's rib cage.

"Good morning to you, too, Forehead!" Ino exclaimed as she barely dodged the sharp elbow of her wary friend. Sakura shut her eyes, almost ready to scream her lungs out, and whirled around to see a now smirking Ino.

Sakura demanded, "What are you doing, pig?"

"What else?" Ino said. She pointed at a pot a flowers and explained, "I am on an errand for the shop. The owner of this store bought some of our flowers. What are _you_ doing here, Sakura?"

Sakura laughed dryly, answering, "Isn't it obvious? I'm shopping." Ino walked closer, clutching the pot to her chest now, and arched her brows as she stated, "What style are you trying to pull off here?"

"_Professional_, Pig. I have a meeting to attend tonight."

"Aw, that's no fun. I would've loved to doll you up like a foreign princess or maybe a seductress or a stripper perhaps? What do you think, Forehead?" Ino questioned. Sakura stared at her with a dead serious expression and she laughed, saying, "Take a chill pill, will ya?"

"Hey, you started this, Pig." Sakura turned around, picking up the blouse she last held. Ino peered over her shoulder and nodded, approving. "Not bad, Forehead. That would go nice with a mini-skirt, don't you think?"

"Pig, I'm not going to a bar. I'm attending a _meeting_."

"Okay, so I guess, you're going for pants? Why not go for a _professional_ skirt? Actually, I think you and pants could go well; you just need to find some nice dress pants that hugs your butt. That should get their attention," Ino stated, sounding thoughtful. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and asked, "Who are you meeting?"

"It's confidential."

"Got it." Ino followed Sakura around the shop, going from rack to rack. Sakura glanced at her multiple times and Ino just smiled, holding the flowers to her face as she created a nice scenery for her face. Sakura moved to another rack, searching for some pants and said without looking at Ino, "Okay, you can help me pick out some pants, but _I _choose. Just go deliver your flowers to the owner already."

Ino squealed and transported away. She came back a few seconds later, taking off her apron, and clapped the dust and dirt off her hands. "You have no idea how good you can make yourself look, Forehead. _Trust _me." Sakura eyed her intently as she rubbed her hands together.

"You are going to blow their minds away-professionally, of course."

xxx

Six hours later, they were sitting inside Sakura's bathroom. Ino was curling pink locks into loose, smooth curls as she asked for the umpteenth time, "Sakura, are you sure you don't want to put some make up on?" The medic shook her head.

Ino shrugged and muttered, "Make up or none, you're bound to blow them away."

Sakura sighed and Ino commented, "You don't sound pleased about this meeting of yours. Is it really _that_ bad?" Sakura grimaced, uncertain of what to say, and replied, "It's just ... stressful."

"Ah, now that makes sense." Ino took the sides of her pink hair, brought them to the center of the back of her head and clipped it together. She shook a can and sprayed the hair, saying, "You know what, we haven't gone to the bar in a while. When should we go?"

Sakura smiled. "Whenever you're free and whenever I'm not busy."

"And when's that?" Ino asked, grinning. They were getting nowhere.

"I have no idea. I'll check my schedule later." Sakura stood up, looking at her hair, and hugged the smirking blonde. As they walked out of her bathroom and into the hallway, Ino squeezed her hand and cheered, "You can do this, Sakura. I can practically feel your hand shaking; don't be so nervous. You'll do great. You're always professional."

"I'm not scared," Sakura said, looking at Ino who replied, "Uh huh."

"Okay, maybe I am. Just a bit." Sakura slipped on her low heels, grabbed her folders off the counter in the kitchen, locked her apartment and walked with Ino. Sakura muttered anxiously, "I just hope that I won't fail, you know?"

"Oh, please, Sakura. You're a perfectionist. You always do things right, _accurate_. You've been like this since our academy days; you play by the rules. You'll be fine," Ino assured. Sakura exhaled loudly and nodded, telling herself that everything would go fine. Ino hugged her one last time and walked the other way.

xxx

By the time Sakura arrived at the Uchiha Compound, she could feel the balls of her feet hurt. She wondered why she didn't just transport herself here in the first place, but then she figured that it was because she didn't want to even be here. The walk to the compound was quite relaxing and peaceful, mentally; now, she understood why Tsunade wanted her to take the day off.

There was an Uchiha standing at the entrance to the compound and the minute he saw Sakura, he smiled warmly. Sakura smiled back, uncertain of this man's identity. She definitely didn't see him in the profiles last night. He was a young man, most likely in his twenties, dressed in the typical Uchiha color: black.

He extended a hand and introduced, "Hello, I'm Uchiha Shisui."

Sakura gripped his hand, reminding herself to be firm both physically and mentally. "Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura." He flashed a mischievous smile at her and she felt a part of herself grow more wary and of course, there was a girly part of herself that melted into a puddle of mush. She smacked that side of herself away, thinking that she wasn't going to get out of this place alive. Looks could be deceiving.

As he led her to the meeting room, he said, "You're Sasuke's teammate, right?" He looked at her curiously, glad to finally meet her. She nodded and he continued, "I've heard a lot about you, Sakura-san. Sasuke tells me that you're an incredible puncher?"

Feeling her body loosen, Sakura laughed softly. "It's the truth; he'd know pretty well." Shisui chuckled and led her to a door, he paused to look at her with a glint of concern in his eyes. Sakura stared at him and he shook his head, sliding the door open. As she walked past him, she heard him say quietly, "Be careful."

She nodded, replying softly but firmly, "Exactly what I plan on doing." She looked at him over her shoulder and he grinned.

Then, the shoji door slid shut and she continued walking down the dim hallway. Her heels tapped against the wooden floors and she hoped that she wouldn't slip. She stopped at the end of the hallway, standing in front of the only door. She touched the papery material on the traditional door and pulled it open slowly.

The minute she opened it, she was faced with a clan of Uchihas. She listed the steps in her head: _first, bow. Then, introduce yourself and walk your seat._ As she walked over to the table, the clansmen stepped away from her. She wasn't sure whether they were being polite, making room for her, or whether they were backing away from her in disgust and scorn. She kept her emerald eyes locked to the head of the elders, Uchiha Ichiro. He was sitting across from where she would be sitting alone.

By the time she sat down on the empty side of the grand table, she spotted a confused and concerned Sasuke standing next to Itachi and Shisui. Sakura made no move to acknowledge his presence nor existence. This was a matter between the Hokage and the head of the clan. There was no time to smirk at him or wave, partially because she wanted to have a smooth and peaceful meeting which meant that they shouldn't have to remember her past interruptions.

Ichiro held a hand up in the air, leveled to his head. The crowd silenced and Ichiro stated with an authority-filled voice, "Tonight Hokage-sama sent her apprentice as a representative to speak on her behalf; let us welcome Haruno Sakura." He gracefully put his hand down and the clan clapped in silence. Sakura could feel their stares on her, some interested, some hateful, despising, curious, uncertain.

"Your partner?" Ichiro asked, eyeing the empty chair.

Sakura glanced at it, remembering that Danzo was another representative from the Elders of Konoha. She answered, "Danzo-sama is not in Konoha this moment, Uchiha-sama." Ichiro made a content look which Sakura noticed, making mental notes to ask Tsunade this.

"You may begin speaking."

"On the behalf of Hokage-sama, she would like to state that she is deeply sorry for not being able to attend this meeting tonight. She had an important meeting to attend today," Sakura began and before she could continue, a man asked, "What was so important that she had to miss a meeting with one of the most important clans in Konoha?"

Sakura stared at Dai, the middle elder, and answered, "Hokage-sama is currently in a meeting with Raikage-sama." Dai nodded, choosing to remain silent. Sakura shifted her attention back to Ichiro and continued, "Hokage-sama would like to express her wishes of strengthening the bonds between Konoha and its fellow clans as well as allies. With this in mind, she presents you and your clan, Uchiha-sama, the choice of renewing your loyalty to Konoha. When the First Hokage came to power, he created Konoha with the idea that each clan, no matter how independent, would work together to keep Konoha safe. However, the choice is yours to make."

Ichiro nodded, remaining stoic, and Sakura wondered to herself if all Uchihas were stoic. He turned around to look at the clansmen who muttered to themselves; initially, Sakura was confused. Were they not happy with this idea? They _did_ have a choice. It wasn't like Tsunade was forcing them to leave the village or even stay, if that was what they were worried about. Then, she saw Danzo walking towards her. That's when she realized why they were whispering.

Danzo nodded at her and she greeted, "Danzo-sama." He took a seat next to her. Sakura saw the smear of blood on his face and wondered if he rushed to attend the meeting.

"As I was saying," Sakura stated, turning back to the elders now. "The choice is yours to make. If you already know your choice, I have the paperwork with me right now. If you don't know, that's okay. You have a month to complete your decision." She remained sitting in her chair with her back straight.

"We will take the latter option," Ichiro replied after a few seconds. Sakura nodded, sliding the folders closer to her. Dai narrowed his eyes at Danzo and Sakura remained calm, but completely confused on the inside. An older woman appeared at Danzo's side, offering him a handkerchief, but he made no move to receive it. Sakura quirked a brow at Danzo, reached for the handkerchief and thanked the woman who bowed and melted into the crowd. Sakura draped the handkerchief over his hand, making sure to never touch him, and nudged, "Danzo-sama, it would be best to clean your face of the smeared blood."

Danzo wore a surprised expression and said, "Oh, I had no idea there was blood on my face." He wiped his face with the handkerchief and Sakura swore that she could feel the atmosphere grow tenser. After setting the cloth down on his lap, Danzo said, "My colleagues suggested that I represent them and here I am. Pardon my tardiness, Ichiro."

Ichiro inclined his head. "You're pardoned, Danzo. Did you have something to say as well?"

Danzo nodded and explained, "As an elder, I only have the security of Konoha in mind. If your clan were to break away from the village, I would like to remind you that the Uchiha Clan would be seen as a threat to the village and a potential enemy; there has been a case that hinted at your disloyalty."

Fumio narrowed his eyes and Dai responded, "And just what is that case, Danzo?"

"I believe you should remember, Dai. The night of Konoha's destruction, the Fourth Hokage's death, the release of the kyuubi, a sign of betrayal," Danzo reminded.

"False accusations!" Fumio declared.

_Things are not going good,_ Sakura thought. She remained quiet, watching the clan members talk angrily to each other. Women shook their head. Men stared with hatred. Younger Uchihas were confused or silent. Sakura remembered the way those dark eyes changed the minute they were accused of the kyuubi's release and the village's destruction. The members stood behind the elders, across from Sakura and Danzo. It was like there was a barrier in the middle of the table. Sakura pressed her lips into a thin line, hearing Danzo's voice spill some more angering concerns. Then, she heard it: _Tch, so loud, these people! What's going on?_

Sakura sat up even straighter, hearing the voice loud and clear in her head. She scanned the room, seeing people argue. Hate and tension filled the atmosphere as the clan defended themselves. Danzo remained calm as if he was only stating the truth. She looked at Ichiro who also remained calm and then, she felt a sharp pang in her head. _Kill him. He's so close, so close. They're so close, so close. Come on, just a flick of the wrist, and you could send a deadly senbon at him._ Sakura clenched her hands into fists under the table. _Annoying_ _Uchihas._

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Danzo opening his mouth and so she slammed both of her hands on the table. She kept her back straight and chin leveled as the people shifted their stares onto her. "As I stated earlier, Uchiha-sama, the choice of loyalty remains in your hands. Hokage-sama would like to remain on good terms with you and your clan no matter what the decision is."

"If they decide to break away, there are no more ties," Danzo immediately expressed, firm.

Sakura turned to fully look at him, questioning, "I don't see anything wrong with Konoha continuing its ties with them; besides, we shouldn't let unproven beliefs strain the ties that keep the welfare of Konoha secure." She stared at him, finally noticing that the voice was gone, for now at least.

"The only thing that could release the kyuubi is the visual prowess of the Uchiha Clan; who else has the Sharingan? Don't be so naïve," Danzo responded, staring at her.

"Okay, so instead of devising ways to find this suspect, we spent the last eighteen years gradually destroying our ties with a formidable ally? Correct me if I am wrong, Danzo-_sama_, but the First Hokage acknowledged the Uchiha Clan as one of the clans that would protect Konoha _and _I thought that you were in favor of securing the safety of Konoha, peace included as well? I just don't see the point in continuing to blindly accuse them; it's only going to deteriorate Konoha and we don't need another village attacking us just because we can't even control an issue that's been going on for almost two decades now. If you want to say that they are guilty, _prove_ it," Sakura remarked.

She gathered the folders and stood up, looking at Ichiro, and said, "I will be back by the end of next month. Take your time to consider your choice. Oh, and let me make this clear for everyone, I'm not a representative; I'm a mediator. That's two different things. Have a wonderful night." She bowed and walked out of the room.

* * *

A/N: Who's this voice?! Guess...though, of course, I'm going to twist this up a bit :D


	3. Chapter 3

**State of Mind**

* * *

*Chapter 3: Nami

Normal POV

* * *

After storming out of the Uchiha Compound, Sakura transported to her apartment. She tossed her heels on the couch, unclasped her hairdo and tied it into a ponytail before she changed into her usual attire. She slid her usual boots on and headed over to the Hokage headquarters after sitting in silence for a good thirty minutes.

When she arrived at the headquarter, she was surprised to see Danzo standing across from Tsunade. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the man who didn't bother to look at her and she didn't bother to greet him either. Sakura shut the door and walked towards them.

"You should take my advice," Danzo said, shifting his bandaged arm. He turned, not even looking at Sakura, and began walking to the door. He added, "She isn't appropriate for the job. She's clearly biased."

Sakura grit her teeth, fists clenching. She glared at the man who continued to speak. Tsunade furrowed her brows, uncertain of why things were going this way.

"She's too young to understand Konoha politics. I suggest you find another person," Danzo stated, placing a hand on the door as it opened. Sakura crossed her arms and remarked, "If you're still stuck over the fact that I told you to prove they're guilty, I am not sorry and I'm not going to bow down and apologize. I wasn't being biased; it's called voicing your opinion."

The door shut and Danzo turned around, staring at her. "You were defending them. That shows your bias and perhaps favoritism."

Sakura narrowed her green eyes at him. "I wasn't defending them; I was giving them a chance that no one else ever gave them. Maybe you should learn from this, huh? So there would be more peace in this village. And you, on the other hand, what were you trying to do? All you did was create more problems; we were supposed to be on a _diplomatic_ mission, trying to create peace through peaceful manners."

"I'm not the one trying to maintain the ties between the Uchiha Clan. That would be you. I merely represent the voice of the elders and after years of war and experience, we know how that clan is; what they are capable of. You haven't been alive as long as I have, so I suggest you gain some more experience."

Sakura opened her mouth to remark something, but Tsunade said first, "Alright, Danzo, you may leave now. You've done enough tonight. I will think about what you said." Once the door shut, she sighed and rubbed her temples. "This is why I don't like having the elders jumping into my business." She looked at the apprentice who glared out the window.

"Rough night?" Tsunade asked. Sakura raked a hand in her hair and said, "You have no idea."

"Hey, I was in a meeting with the Raikage for the whole day; you have no idea how demanding this man can be. Thank Kami, we struck a deal. Of course, I had to break _two_ tables." Tsunade laughed and Sakura quirked a brow, wondering what went on with those two kages.

"Danzo told me what you said and did at the end." Tsunade set her amber eyes on Sakura. "Not that I object to what you said, but I don't think you should have walked out right away."

"Well, I had to. It was necessary; they, _he,_ were driving me crazy. Besides, it's better to be safe than to have a hole in the wall or a smashed table."

Tsunade replied, "I understand, but next time, don't walk out. That only makes you look pathetic."

"What?"

"I'm being honest, Sakura. As a diplomatic mediator, you're expected to be able to sit through an entire meeting; you sit and listen through all the ups and downs, the arguments and the peaceful talks. If you walk out, they'll think you can't handle it. Your party and the other party can form observations from that."

Sakura grimaced. "Well, I already know what Danzo thinks."

Tsunade nodded and said, "You know I'm not going to replace you. I still think you're the perfect candidate." She whirled her chair around and stared at the night sky, thinking to herself. "How do you think the others reacted?"

"The Uchihas?" Sakura asked. "I have no idea."

They remained in silence for the next thirty minutes until Tsunade finally said, "I know you're still upset, Sakura. So, I decided to send you on a mission. You need some time to cool off and blasting the training grounds into craters with your monster punches aren't going to do you much help. Staying in Konoha isn't going to cool your anger; you'll probably still be throwing kunai bombs at a tree, wishing that it was Danzo's head." She twirled her chair around and grinned at Sakura.

"You read my mind, Shishou. I was wondering if I could get out of Konoha for a couple of days."

"Not just a couple of days, Sakura; this mission takes a week, but that's partially because of the traveling. You're looking for a plant that Shizune spotted in the foreign poison. She thinks it's near Iwa, located in their mountains, mainly because of the climate," Tsunade explained and set the scroll of instructions on her desk.

Sakura grabbed it and asked, "When did Shizune find this out?"

Tsunade popped open a bottle of sake and answered, "Early morning. She's been in her personal lab for the past two days, looking at this small sample of poison." She took a swig of the liquid and let out a satisfied sigh. "Want some?"

Sakura shook her head, eager to leave. "When do I leave?"

The flushed Hokage smirked. "The sooner, the better. And remember, only a week. If you can't find it, return back to Konoha." She watched as Sakura walked to the open window and jumped out onto the roofs, fading into the night.

* * *

Sakura sat on the bank of a stream, letting her legs dangle in the cool water. She lied down on the grass, feeling the hard ground beneath her, and stared at the clouds. She remembered the first time she went cloud-sighting. Shikamaru was the one to introduce the idea to her and apparently, it was an all-time favorite hobby of his. She could hear him telling her to be quiet and just watch the crowds drift by. Smiling, she shut her eyes and tried to relax. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop replaying the night of the meeting.

She rolled onto her side, thinking. _It wasn't like I was trying to defend them._

_Oh, come on. It looks like you were._ Sakura sat up, hearing the voice again. She waited in silence, unsure of what to do. She was positive that it couldn't be her inner because she had sealed _both_ of them away. But, of course, who else could it be? It could only be them.

Not hearing it anymore, Sakura stood up and shook her wet legs; she slid on her boots and turned to scan the area. She could see the towering mountains in the background, the ones she just descended with disappointment. Unfortunately, the plant Shizune identified wasn't there. Sakura jumped onto the nearby branch and worked her way into the forest. A couple minutes later she spotted a shadow on the ground and quickened her speed. She pulled out a kunai from the holster wrapped around her thigh and quickly turned around to fling it at the unknown shadow. It let out a cry of pain and fell on the grass, cradling its injury.

Sakura continued to run, keeping an eye trained on the fallen form. It soon swirled like smoke in the air and began moving fast in the grass like a snake; Sakura jumped onto a higher branch as it stretched its black, shadow-like arm at her. The moment she landed on the higher branch, its other hand grasped her ankle, flinging her into a tree.

She smashed into the hard tree and felt its hand tighten; she slashed at the shadow's wrist as it swung her around in the air. The hand disconnected from its arm and soon disappeared, the grip on Sakura's ankle fading away. Sakura planted her chakra-laced boots onto the side a tree and propelled herself backwards, landing on a branch. She inspected the small, shadowy figure standing several meters away from her. The gender of the shadow was indeterminate.

Sakura touched the right side of her ribs, sensing a fractured rib with her chakra and healed it instantly. She noticed that its hand regenerated and dodged the hand as it smashed the branch she once stood on. The branch collapsed on the ground, flattening the grass. Sakura distanced herself from the shadow and spotted it running to the shades beneath the trees.

"Damn it." Sakura began to jump back as she saw the shadow transport itself from the spots of shades. She looked at the sides of the forest, wondering which way led outside of the forest. Then, she heard it. _Come on, just kill it. You know its only playing with you. Yuki's always been like that, too playful._

Sakura jumped to a branch on her left and began to run with increased speed; she formed three clones and ordered them to watch her back as she sought an opening. Located at the head of her group, Sakura could hear her clones break branches and throw them at the shadowy form. She knew it was pointless, but continued to let them distract the shadow.

"Sakura-chan, won't you come play with me?" the shadow called out in a sweet voice. Sakura continued to run, never answering. _You know, Yuki's going to be pissed. _

The shadow said even angrier, "Won't you play with me, Sakura-chan?"

_Let me out and I'll silence her. I still need to teach her a lesson._

Sakura continued to run, looking around herself desperately. There should be an exit, the side of the forest that bordered the road. If she could reach that, she'd be safe. If she could only, if_ they_ could only leave her alone, everything would be fine. Then, she spotted a crack of light straight up ahead of her.

"Sakura-chan, I _said_, won't you play with me?" the voice repeated in a deeper voice.

_Ah, Yuki's mad now. _Sakura shut her eyes and thought, _Shut up! Just sit quietly!_ After that, she felt a pang in her head and massaged her temples. She shook her head, unable to get rid of the pain, and decided to null it with chakra. She dodged a tree the shadow smacked down and then aimed a kunai bomb at the shadow.

_Oh, that will delay her for now. She'll have to regenerate her entire body. In the meantime, you can run like you always do. _

Sakura landed on the road and backed away from the dark forest where the shadow shrieked in frustration. She continued to run down the empty road and soon saw a familiar woman standing in the middle of the road. The woman wore a black skirt and a black top underlined with fish net, revealing her white chest bindings underneath. Sakura ceased running, breaking into a slow walk, and stopped moving all together.

"Sakura-sama," the woman greeted. She looked at the forest with a knowing look. "I suppose you did something to Yuki?"

Sakura remained silent and the woman sighed, pinching her nose. "I don't know why Yuki's always so playful. But, at least she knows that your not her friend anymore. Don't you have anything to say?"

"Nami," Sakura said. "Get out of my way."

Nami smirked and remarked, "Not after what you did to Yuki."

Sakura glanced at the forest, feeling guilty, and replied, "She attacked me."

"Oh, come on! You know she was going easy on you!" Nami shouted, stomping a foot on the ground. A block of dirt rose in the air and flew at Sakura who slammed a fist on the block. Nami watched the dirt crumble back to the earth and lunged at Sakura while forming seals.

The ground shook and Sakura felt herself being lifted in sharp jerks. She looked down and saw that the ground was broken into large chunks, floating in the air. She saw Nami grin and say, "Remember this?"

Sakura watched her smash her palms together. The large blocks began to swirl in the air, rotating in a circle. Nami formed a seal and one of them came crashing at Sakura. Sakura jumped into the air, hovering over the flying block of dirt and kicked it at Nami who dodged, rolling on the grass with her hands covering her head as the rock smashed into smaller chunks. She got back up and began to control the blocks. Sakura punched and kicked her way through the flying objects. When there were no blocks left to destroy, she smashed the block she stood on and dropped down onto the ground. She slammed her fist into the ground and watched Nami struggle to hold herself upright. Sakura charged at Nami and threw punches at her.

Nami held her arms up, blocking a punch and stumbled back. "I heard you became the apprentice of a sannin? How's life at your new home, huh? You didn't forget about your mission, did you!"

Sakura aimed a kick at Nami's stomach and sent her scuttling back. She walked over to the woman, holding her collar and said, "You don't know anything, Nami!" The woman shook her head and punched Sakura in the face, who rolled off Nami. Sakura distanced herself from Nami, watching carefully.

"I took care of you when you were an infant; I did everything your mother asked of me! Yet, I never got to be treated as well as you did!" Nami shouted. She charged at Sakura with a kunai and Sakura whipped her own out, smashing her kunai against Nami's. Nami growled and continued, "Where have you been these past years?"

"Konoha," Sakura spat out, staring at the older woman. She slammed a knee in Nami's stomach and Nami stumbled backwards, clutching her stomach. Sakura watched warily and said, "You shouldn't have used your jutsu, Nami. That took too much chakra."

"Am I not good enough?" Nami said. Sakura quirked a brow, unsure of what was going on, and Nami shouted, "Am I not good enough!" She lifted her head and looked at Sakura.

"Did she send you?" Sakura asked.

"Why else would I be here?" Nami said. She looked at the forest and said, "I didn't even know you were in Konoha. I always thought that you ran away from home. Eight years later and then your mother tells me that she sent you on a mission. Why didn't you tell me?" She looked at Sakura with angry eyes.

"A mission is a mission. Everything remains confidential."

"Of course, not even your mother would tell me what you're doing." Nami stood up and dusted herself. She cocked her head to the side and looked at Sakura with amusement. "But, you know what? I'm done taking her shit. I've been her servant for far too long. It's time for a new leader to take over."

Sakura took a step back, feeling the wind whip her short hair back as a whirlwind of chakra wrapped around Nami.

"And, I've decided to kill you. If you're not here when I kill her, I can take over because there won't be an heir," Nami said, smiling. She looked behind and beckoned a finger at the forest. A dark shadow sauntered out from the forest, fully regenerated, and Sakura took a step back.

"Come, Yuki, we can finish her together." The shadow placed its hand in Nami's, watching Sakura's every move.

"You lied, Nami. My mother never sent you to find me," Sakura stated. Nami looked back at Sakura, her smile fading, and answered, "Your mother's a fool for thinking that I wouldn't do anything once I heard the truth."

Nami lunged at Sakura with the shadow trailing her. She aimed a punch at Sakura who caught it and then, the shadow gripped Sakura's wrist. Nami pulled her fist free and aimed a punch at Sakura. Sakura staggered back, wiping her bleeding lip. With a kunai held in one hand, she watched warily as Nami and Yuki striked again.

xxx

Nami scanned the destroyed road, full of craters and crumbled rocks and dirt. She spotted a panting, bleeding, and tired Sakura. "Why haven't you used your inner? Yuki wouldn't mind seeing them."

Sakura slashed at the shadow as it charged at her. The shadow disappeared, returning to Nami's side, and Sakura breathed out; she checked her body again for any injuries, finding only cuts and bruises. She had spent too much chakra healing her bone fractures.

"That's a nice trick, you have. Healing yourself, it comes in handy, doesn't it?" Nami said, eyeing Sakura's glowing hand.

With the green glow around her hand fading, Sakura smirked. "You wouldn't know, Nami." Before Nami could attack, Sakura threw a smoke bomb into the gap between them and slipped into the forest. As she ran, she tossed some soldier pills into her mouth and formed a seal. She walked to a tree and leaned against it, waiting. A couple seconds passed by and then she felt it. It was like her skin was stretching; her inner was coming out of her, moving from her right side to her left. She clamped a hand around the tree and looked to her left, seeing it separate from her.

Sakura rubbed her left side, from her upper arm down to her hips, and said, "Why do you always have to come out this way?" The inner stretched and shrugged, saying, "I don't know. It just goes like that. I'm surprised you even remembered how to unseal the seal."

"Of course I would remember, Hikari," Sakura responded.

"I was just stating the truth. You haven't used us in eight years. You're lucky that _I_ came out. Originally, Yami wanted to come out, but then I beat her to it," Hikari said, smiling. Sakura shook her head, unable to get over the fact that her two inners looked like her, except their eyes. Hikari had a light purple tone to her eyes whereas Yami's eyes were dark blue.

"Will you look at that, Yuki?" Nami said, crushing a twig under her sandal. "It's Hikari."

Hikari inclined her head and said, "Yuki, good to see you again."

"Hmph, I'm not talking to you anymore," Yuki said, crossing her arms. Hikari sighed as she and Sakura heard Yami retort _Oh, just shove a bomb up her mouth already!_

"It's a shame we won't get to talk long," Nami said. Hikari smiled and added, "Because you'll be dead by then."

Nami glared at her and said, "Let's take this up a notch then?" She made a seal and soon, they weren't standing in a forest anymore. They were standing in the dark. Sakura glanced around, hearing a soft buzzing sound.

"You remember this day right, Sakura?" Nami asked. "I was accused of stealing the queen's jade bracelet."

Sakura watched as a teenage Nami appeared, being dragged by two men. They took her to a room where they whipped her and secretly molested her. Nami laughed bitterly and commented, "That night when I was proven innocent of my charge, I poisoned their drinks . Your mother, or should I say _our_ queen, truly is kind?"

Sakura looked away from the torture room, staring at her left. She spotted her younger self, wearing a peach kimono. The little girl wandered down the hallway, looking for someone. Nami smiled and said, "I think you were eight, Sakura-sama." Hikari narrowed her eyes at Nami. What was this woman trying to do?

The eight year old Sakura opened the iron door and helped unchain the unconscious teenager. Sakura woke her up gently and led her out of the room. Once Sakura helped the injured teen into her bed, she left and disappeared. A few minutes later, someone appeared in the room.

"I think you'd understand what she means, Sakura-sama," Nami said, glaring at the elegant woman. She bitterly watched the matriarch of the Haruno Clan walk to her bed. The queen pressed a finger into one of Nami's wound, waking her up. The young teenager sat up, afraid, and the queen said, "Don't think that you're innocent, servant. I know it was you who broke into my room and stole my jade bracelet."

The queen arched her brows and explained, "Why did I overlook your crime and call you innocent? Because of my dear Sakura; she told me that you were innocent when, of course, you weren't. But, I decided to let you off because Sakura needs a playmate. You are indebted to my kindness now, understood?" Nami nodded, looking pale.

The scene faded and Yuki sniffed, saying, "Nami is a good girl."

Nami stared at Sakura and said, "You understand now, don't you? This is why I need to kill your mother, the queen of the Haruno clan. I've been like this all along. You were too innocent to see past my facades. I've been waiting for the perfect chance and now, I'm going to destroy your mother. It all starts with you, Sakura."

Yuki melted into the darkness; shadows came from every direction, gripping onto Sakura's arms and legs. Hikari sliced the shadows with a kunai, freeing Sakura. The two stood back to back, walking in a careful circle. Hikari glanced around and muttered, "We're in Nami's mind. That's why she was able to show us those memories, Sakura."

"To get out of this place, we'll have to severely damage Yuki," Sakura said. _Or you can kill her?_ _What is a Haruno without her inner? _Sakura shook her head, stating, "No, I am not doing that." _Afraid? You're too attached to Yuki?_

"There's no time to argue," Hikari spat out, throwing shurikens everywhere. _You're throwing things blindly, Hikari; if you had let me out first, they'd already be dead._ "That's exactly why I didn't let you go first."

"Yami's right," Sakura said, digging for something in the holster.

"What?" Hikari asked. _I'm surprised._

"We're attacking blindly. We need to locate Yuki. If we can do that, we can attack," Sakura explained. "I wasn't agreeing with Yami coming out first." Sakura pulled out some smoke bombs and continued, "These are going to explode everywhere and the gas should outline her form. We just have to be careful; it could either be Yuki or Nami."

"That could work." Hikari grabbed four of the smoke bombs and said, "Be careful." She ran and tossed them the same time Sakura threw hers. Smoke clouded the darkness and Sakura heard some coughing; as she ran in the direction of the coughs, she fanned the smoke away from her face. _Yuki or Nami? Which do you want?_ Sakura spotted a small form and jumped on it. _Ah, it's Yuki_.

"Let me go, let me go." Yuki struggled beneath Sakura. She kicked her feet and Sakura looked around, seeing the smoke linger. She grabbed her kunai and placed it at Yuki's throat, demanding, "Shut up or else I'll kill you." Yuki ceased moving. _Do it._ Sakura stared down at Nami's inner who stared back at her with glassy eyes.

"W-why are you being like this?" Yuki stuttered, crying. "I missed you."

Sakura gritted her teeth and said, "I won't kill you, Yuki. Stop hiding in your shadow form; you're prettier than this glob of black." Yuki removed her hands from her face and muttered, "But Nami-chan says that I'm ugly."

Sakura opened her mouth only to close it again. She forgot that inners could feel and hear what humans felt and thought. "Look, I don't want to kill you, Yuki. If you could just help me get out of here, you and Nami could go back home safe and sound." She forgot that inners had a mind of their own; they were like humans, except they were bound to a person.

"But what about you?" Yuki asked. Her shadows began to melt, revealing a young girl in a white yukata.

Sakura shook her head and answered, "I'm still on my mission."

"Remember the fun room where we played? Go there," Yuki instructed. "If you exit the window, you can be free."

Sakura released a breath and hugged Yuki. She patted the girl's hair and warned, "Don't always believe what Nami says about herself. She's not ugly and neither are you." Sakura stood up and kissed her on the head. "Thanks Yuki and be careful."

Sakura ran through the smoke, meeting up with Hikari again, and explained, "The window in the toy room where I used to play with Yuki? That's the key to get out, Hikari." She thought about the toy room back in her tiny village and all the happy times she spent with Yuki.

"A door just appeared," Hikari said, pointing to their right. They hurried over to the floating door and jumped in. Sakura stood in the room, taking in the chest box, the rocking horse, and the little toy swords. She was about to touch it when Hikari shook her head and said, "Don't. We don't want to mess with Nami's head. Leave everything the way it is." They headed over to the open window and Sakura remembered the numerous times that Yuki and she would jump out and hide from Nami during the summer. Nostalgia told her to stay, stay forever, but she forced herself out the window.

xxx

After escaping from Nami's mind, Sakura and Hikari ran to a town so Sakura could heal herself. Hikari watched Sakura heal the cuts and bruises on her skin in silence. She suggested, "Maybe you should stay in town for tonight? It's already five."

Sakura shook her head. "No, Shishou's probably worried. I was supposed to return yesterday. She'll know that somethings up if I don't return by tonight. I usually finish my missions on time." She winced as her chakra healed the last deep cut on her leg.

Hikari sighed and said, "Well, at least let me stay with you until you get to Konoha. Then, you can seal me. You're already low on your chakra conserves." Sakura nodded and stood, flexing her arms and stretched. She looked at her body and asked, "Are there any scars, Hikari?" The inner shook her head and they returned to the road.

The beginning half of the journey to Konoha was silent. Maybe because it was night and they were on guard? As they neared Konoha in the early morning, Hikari asked, "How did you get Yuki to tell you the exit?"

Sakura shrugged. "I told her I didn't want to kill her and that she and Nami could go back home safely."

"What did she say?"

"She asked what I was going to do."

"What did you say?"

"I told her I was still on my mission mother assigned me." Sakura stared down the hill, seeing Konoha in the early morning. It was peaceful and relaxing. Hikari set a hand on her shoulder and murmured, "Be careful, Sakura. You're already in enough trouble the way things are." She merged into the same side she came from. _Your chakra will be depleted after you lock the seal. We won't be able to hear or feel your emotions or your thoughts once the seal is complete. _

After completing the seal, Sakura replied, _"_I know, Hikari."

Sakura took a step, feeling the heaviness of her body and mind. She forced herself to walk down the hill, onto the windy path and through the gates and streets of Konoha to the Hokage's headquarter. She stared at the window to Tsunade's office and began to walk up the stairs.

xxx

"Why are we up so early, Baa-chan?" Naruto murmured, rubbing his eyes. Sasuke shook his head and told him they were here for a mission. The only thing that confused him was why Itachi and Shisui were here and why Sakura wasn't here. In fact, he hadn't seen her for a whole week plus yesterday. He already knew that Kakashi was on a solo mission.

"Because I sent Sakura on a mission last week and she was supposed to come back two days ago."

"What? Sakura-chan's missing!" Naruto exclaimed.

"She went on a mission?" Sasuke muttered questioningly. Why didn't she tell him?

Tsunade looked at Itachi and Shisui and sighed. "Itachi, I want you leading the mission. Find Sakura, that's all I want. Shisui can be your right hand man for all I care, but just take these two with you. They may look dumb, but they're an asset."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Itachi grabbed the scroll, containing Sakura's mission; the door opened and in walked Sakura. She stopped under the threshold, looking confused, and asked, "Am I interrupting something?"

"You silly girl! Where have you been?" Tsunade demanded.

"On a mission," Sakura said, uncertain.

"You're two days late."

Sakura bowed her head. "I apologize."

"I was just going to send a squad after you!" Tsunade said. "Take a look at them."

Sakura scanned the faces. "To send such a strong squad, you must have been worried, Shishou. I apologize."

"The hell I was. What took you so long?"

"I was occupied."

"With?"

"Trying to find the plant. You know how I am, I don't give up. Traveling back to Konoha was the most time consuming thing; by the time, I realized I was overtime, I rushed back here."

"Understood. Give me the report."

Sakura handed the scroll to Tsunade who, then, looked at Itachi for the scroll she just gave him. Tsunade clapped her hands and announced, "Well, it looks like everything's well. Squad Itachi, it looks like your mission has been canceled. Sakura, go home and rest."

Sakura turned to leave. Naruto and Sasuke walked with her; Naruto asked why she didn't tell him about her mission and Sasuke, well, he wanted to talk about the clan meeting. The minute they exited, Tsunade sighed and looked at Itachi. "Did you use your Sharingan?"

"Yes. She's used all of her chakra," Itachi stated.

Shisui whistled. "It's amazing she could even walk."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "I gave her such a simple mission. Something must have happened. Itachi, Shisui, I want you two to trail her tracks. See if she fought anyone. Sakura doesn't hide things for no reasons."

* * *

A/N: Sakura comes from a clan. She's got two inners. What's next? There will be more information to come.


End file.
